94 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1892. 



£400, are not, as a rule, the class of horse calculated to improve the 

 indigenous stdck. The latter wautsize, substauce, bone, and shape. 

 And I assert that the class of Thorough-bi^ed for which the Govern- 

 ment can afford to pay, aud which exist in sufficient numbers to 

 supply the demand, are not capable of producing such improvement. 

 I do not make this statement on theoretical grounds, but as the result 

 of careful inspection of many hundreds of their stock in the Punjab 

 and N.-W. P. Let me now endeavour to account for this. 



For many years past this class has been bred for the turf, 

 i.e., for speed. A winner of races, be his faults what they may, 

 when his career is finished, retires to the stud. Here, he is mated, 

 not with mares selected for roominess, bone, and substance, but 

 with mares whose speed has also been proved by their feats on 

 the turf. Soundness, constitution, conformation, in fact every quality 

 desirable in parents of good stock are overlooked, if the dam and 

 sire are speedy. The breeder gets what he wants, fast animals 

 capable of covering a certain limited distance in an amazingly short 

 period of time, carrying a very light weight. 



Now, as breeding this class of horse is expensive, a quick return 

 on the outlay is necessary to make it profitable. To obtain this, the 

 stock is forced to precocious maturity by high feeding. 



The colt who should still be running in the paddocks, developing 

 bone and suhstance, and maturing naturally into a fine horse, finds 

 himself at two or three years old facing the starter on a race course. 

 Now what results would any horseman predict from this ? First — 

 soundness not being a sine qua non — unsound stock. Second — 

 lightness, length, and a long stride being favourable for speed, want 

 of substance and narrowness. TAiV(^.— Precocious maturity by arti- 

 ficial means, i.e., high feeding and pampering — delicacy of constitu- 

 tion and early failure. Fourth — Taxing inordinately ; immature 

 bone, tendon, ligament and wind, splint, spavin, sprain, break- 

 down, and roaring. 



Are these predictions verified ? For answer observe the Hansom 

 cabs in London and other large towns. Ask the Veterinary Sur- 

 geons and trainers at racing centres. 



On the other hand their advocates contend, aud very justl}^, 

 that the Thorough-bred hunter for speed, endurance, power. 



